Sheriff says county backs Stepping Up initiative to connect inmates with mental-health care

Sevier County commissioners voted unanimously on Nov. 17 to support the Stepping Up initiative, a national effort aimed at reducing the number of people with mental illness in jails.

Sheriff Michael Hodges described the county’s approach as part of the department’s accreditation work and said the jail books roughly 6,000 inmates a year. He said the department contracted in July for medical staff that provide 32 hours of mental-health services per week and that a partnership with the Helen Ross McNabb Center provides an additional 16 hours weekly. Hodges said those services are intended to screen and treat inmates in custody and to support re-entry planning that links people to community appointments and employment resources when they leave incarceration.

Commissioner M. Maddron moved the support resolution; T. Humble seconded. The motion passed by roll call vote 24 Yes, 0 No, 1 Absent.

Why it matters: Programs that increase behavioral-health screening and re-entry support aim to reduce repeat incarceration among people with serious mental illness and to connect them with treatment and social services in the community.

What’s next: The sheriff’s office and partner agencies will continue providing in-jail services and coordinating re-entry supports. Specific program metrics and funding sources were not detailed at the meeting.